Founder, Pena Law

Vanessa Pena’s path to personal injury law was ignited by a personal mission: helping a close friend fight a wrongful denial of insurance coverage. That first case—a successful bad faith claim against a major health insurance company—not only resulted in justice for her friend but also revealed the systemic negligence and indifference with which insurers often treat everyday people. From that moment forward, Vanessa committed her career to standing up for individuals harmed by powerful institutions.

As the founder of Pena Law, Vanessa is known for her relentless advocacy and her deep commitment to her clients, whom she considers family. She has built a reputation for aggressively pursuing maximum compensation while offering compassionate, step-by-step guidance through every stage of the legal process.

A proud Southern California native, Vanessa earned her J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, graduating at the top of her class and receiving multiple accolades, including the Jefferson Scholar Award and Witkin Award of Excellence. Her early legal career began on the defense side, where she worked for a top personal injury defense firm. That experience gave her invaluable insight into how insurance companies operate—knowledge she now uses to the advantage of her clients.

Her accomplishments have been recognized by the legal community: Vanessa was named a Super Lawyers Rising Star in 2019 and a Super Lawyers Member in 2020, and was honored as one of San Diego Business Journal’s Best of the Bar in 2016.